Local News Stories and LTE 2018

If you want to go to a show at the Benedum and want/need to drive, park at the First Ave garage and ride the T down to Wood Street. Much less car traffic on either end of the trip, parking is only $6, the T ride is free, and you’re literally a half block from the Benedum omce you get to street level.

Bike Pittsburgh is among the groups that gets funding from the Colcom Foundation, a foundation started by one of the Scaife offspring that’s one of the main contributors to anti-immigration groups in the U.S., including 2 groups that have been listed as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center (i.e., started by white nationalists and used as a cover to spout hate).

While the Colcom Foundation’s main focus seems to be anti-immigration policies, they also donate to groups like Friends of the Riverfront, Frick Park, and Bike Pittsburgh.

Don’t think so. Story came out several weeks ago. I found it yesterday after I read an article about how the Colcom Foundation requested that their name be removed from the sponsorship of the Christmas Market downtown. And I backtracked to the original article.

Underwriting local civic do-good and entertainment orgs is straight out of the tobacco industry playbook from the 1980s. For them, then, it was ballet companies, orchestras, and the like. It got them invited to all the elbow rubbing parties and golf outings, which further translated to joining boards of directors.

If you want to direct the flow of the stream, start at the most upstream source.

I emailed Bike Pgh yesterday re: taking Colcom money, but my guess is that since the article came out in late November and Bike Pgh has been quiet they’re trying to have the best of both worlds — take the money and avoid publicity.

As a Jew, I can’t support an organization that takes money from people who also give to known white supremacists. I made a decision that I’m not going to be involved with Bike Pgh anymore, including this message board. It’s been fun, folks!

I’d like to ask a question about the ColCom issue. As it happens, I’ve ridden twice in a group ride from Pgh to Cumberland with a member of the ColCom board. I didn’t have much in common to make conversation about, so I asked him – Cold Comfort, who names a Farm after that? It seems rather inhospitable and bleak.

He was a fan of the book and he explained to me that in the story – which I have not read – a woman gets a job at a farm called Cold Comfort Farm and she’s a hard worker, the owner recognizes it, and eventually she’s able to bring her extended family into the country to work at Cold Comfort Farm. Through her industry and work ethic, she is able to bring her whole family of a dozen people over and they thrive in America.

I can’t reconcile what this gentleman told me about the ColCom backstory and the reports of funding anti-immigrant groups. This cyclist came across as a person of integrity who was doing good in the world. When I try to research the accusation, it all seems to loop back to a single source, and it’s not a well-known or recognized source.

And so, when I see people embracing the “refuse ColCom money” movement, I have uncertainty about who is claiming what, and it doesn’t match with my experience. Unless somebody can offer some real understanding and documentation of what the complaint is, I think this is a BS story. I can’t see any reasons to cast aspersions on BikePgh or anybody else. I’m really open to being corrected.

“…since the article came out in late November and Bike Pgh has been quiet they’re trying to have the best of both worlds — take the money and avoid publicity.” That is preemptively harsh, to presume a nefarious intent on the part of this organization. To expect factual research behind the scenes in order to form an informed position on an issue like this when the “news” just came out a couple of weeks ago is unrealistic. I would indeed want to see a public statement on this at some point, but what Vannevar said^^, 100%.

You should definitely read “Cold Comfort Farm.” It is a hilarious book and not at all as described. It is a satire of life (and urban attitudes) in rural England. The movie (with Kate Beckingsale) is also good and in some ways better (the book is set in the future and some things jar).

When I try to research the accusation, it all seems to loop back to a single source, and it’s not a well-known or recognized source.…when I see people embracing the “refuse ColCom money” movement, I have uncertainty about who is claiming what, and it doesn’t match with my experience. Unless somebody can offer some real understanding and documentation of what the complaint is, I think this is a BS story.

Still, said Mr. Oursler, large foundations will “always [make] grants we wouldn’t agree with.”…Without Colcom, Mr. Grenter said, “the work done not just by us but many other organizations wouldn’t be possible.” As for Colcom’s immigration stance, he said, “It’s outside the work that we do, so it’s never come up.”

If Bike Pittsburgh and other organizations were to stop accepting money from Colcom, they, too, would likely not be able to do the work they do. Perhaps instead of accepting the inevitability of the foundation being racist and anti-immigrant and forcing Bike Pittsburgh and the many others who depend on foundation money to survive to find other funding, people should try to get Colcom to make better choices….

As for Colcom’s immigration stance, he said, “It’s outside the work that we do, so it’s never come up.”

And here’s the issue at hand.

BikePGH has chosen to expand their mission beyond just bikes to become an organization that fosters inclusiveness and equity in all walks of life, and they’ve done so in an outspoken manner. For that, they should be commended.

But it’s an awfully bad look to all the sudden be completely mum when it’s discovered that an organization antithetical to their own pays their salaries.

Perhaps they should be the ones leading this charge to get Colcom to “make better choices”.

A non-profit receiving funding like this really has no leverage over a funding source. “We’re not taking your stinking money” is a noble stance but IRL is unlikely to sway the funder. I would like to see BP! look into this and make a statement. And if this allegation turns out to be true, and Colcom doesn’t change their policy, possibly not receive money from them in the future. But direct public pressure toward Colcom would be much more effective than hoping protest by the receiving orgs will have any effect.

Personally, I’m fine with accepting US government services even though I disagree with some of the wars we’ve started. Deciding to not drive on federally funded roads wouldn’t further my stance against some national policies.

Similarly, pushing for refusal of colcom donations doesn’t accomplish anything other than creating an argument about not accepting donations. Perhaps that’s the sole purpose, to draw attention to the subject by lighting money on fire. But in itself, refusing the money doesn’t hurt colcom or any of their other causes.

“But in itself, refusing the money doesn’t hurt colcom or any of their other causes.” Hmm, possibly actually helping other, less admirable causes by making more funding available to THEM by refusal. Careful.